Tell Good Stories…..

That Tennyson Poem referenced below - holy crap!!!!

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Poetry

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Between Terri Schaivo, the Pope’s passing, and Carolina winning the championship, is there anything else going on in the world? Can’t seem to find anything in the media otherwise. Oh yeah, Prince Charles got married and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie might be doin’ the nasty.
Michael Jackson is going to get off, this time just without the direct involvement of young boys. Martha Stewart’s always been a thug, now she’s got street cred. Important stuff there.

We’re being told what’s important by a select few. This isn’t just some grand conspiracy theory, just a fact of life. My house has a subscription to Us Weekly, not the New York Times, so we’re as guilty as anybody.

Some friends suggested reading the Brothers Karamazov in preparation of a Sunday School class - I’ve never been so overwhelmed in my life. The section I read before abandoning it for being too highbrow was plenty violent, but not nearly enough sex and explosions.

Another friend recommended a Tennyson poem to me regarding something I said to them. WHO?

The First of many things I don’t know.Terri Schiavo.

In lieu of a living will, this is extraordinarily difficult. I don’t know what I would do if she were my wife or child or other loved one. My gut tells me that there is some level of awareness, and that awareness would scream at me if I were slowly starving to death. That seems cruel. Almost to the point of removing the feeding tube and inserting a needle to finish it cruel. If you’re going to remove the feeding tube, condemning her to a certain death, why not finish the job?

I just don’t know what to do, but my heart goes out to those making that decision.

A friend last night indicated that “They murdered her”. While I take issue with the Fox News type of simplification, he may be onto something. Starvation is a brutal way to die. We wouldn’t do that to a dog.

Should congress have gotten involved in trying to stop this individuals death? No. Was this anyone’s business but the family’s? No.

I just don’t know what the answer to this was.